Aptis Vocabulary: Describing People Wordlist and Examples (B2)

Words/Collocations Meaning Example/Collocation

Adjectives for personality

adventurous (adj) They always go there – they’re not adventurous.

affectionate (adj) I wish my boyfriend was more affectionate.

ambitious (adj) She was ambitious about her future.

bad-tempered (adj) Unfortunately he’s very bad-tempered today.

bossy (adj) She was so bossy that I couldn’t work for her any more.

brave (adj) He was very brave when the dog bit him.

caring (adj) The nurses were very caring when my grandma was ill.

cheerful (adj) She’s such a cheerful child, always so happy.

clever (adj) He tries hard, but he’s not very clever.

clumsy (adj) Try not to be so clumsy all the time!

confident (adj) She’s confident, even with people she’s never met.

creative (adj) I think you need to be more creative for that job.

decisive (adj) He’s very decisive at work but not at home.

dull (adj) I don’t want to have dinner with those dull neighbours again.

easy-going (adj) She’s very easy-going once you know her.

energetic (adj) You’re too energetic first thing on a Monday morning!

enthusiastic (adj) He was very enthusiastic about the plans.

fair (adj) It was a fair decision.

fussy (adj) My cousin’s very fussy about the clothes she wears.

generous (adj) It was very generous of you to donate to our charity.

hard-working (adj) If you’re hard-working, you’ll enjoy the job.

honest (adj) She was very honest and told him about the other boy.

intelligent (adj) There are some very intelligent students in my class.

kind (adj) He was very kind and helped me with my computer.

lazy (adj) There’s no time to be lazy.

lively (adj) She’s very lively at parties.

loyal (adj) Experts say that dogs are more loyal than people.

mature (adj) He’s very mature for his age.

mean (adj) He won’t pay for it – he’s too mean.

moody (adj) Don’t be so moody!

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nervous (adj) I’m always nervous before an exam.

It’s more difficult to make friends if you’re not

outgoing (adj)
very outgoing.

patient (adj) I’m nearly ready – please be patient!

polite (adj) Her children were always so polite.

practical (adj) Please try to be practical about this.

reliable (adj) We must find someone reliable.

reserved (adj) He was very reserved at first, but he started chatting later on.

responsible (adj) People say that teenagers can’t be responsible, but they can.

rude (adj) It was very rude of you not to speak to them.

selfish (adj) She’s so selfish: she only ever thinks about herself.

sensible (adj) He’s allowed out late because we know that he’s sensible.

sensitive (adj) You shouldn’t be so sensitive – he’s only a boy!

shy (adj) He was too shy to ask her to go out with him.

sincere (adj) She was very sincere when she apologised.

sociable (adj) The other families on holiday were very sociable with us.

stubborn (adj) You are so stubborn at times!

sympathetic (adj) She was very sympathetic when I was ill before the exam.

tolerant (adj) We should be more tolerant of other people.

Adjectives for hair

curly (adj) I hated having curly hair when I was little.

dyed (adj) Is that hair dyed or natural?

flowing (adj) I wish I had long flowing hair.

shoulder-length (adj) She looks much nicer with shoulder-length hair.

spiky (adj) Her spiky green hair looked like grass.

straight (adj) His hair has always been straight.

thinning (adj) He always used to cover his thinning hair with a hat.

untidy (adj) My hair gets so untidy in the wind.

wavy (adj) She had thick wavy hair.

be bald (v) He’s completely bald now.

balding (adj) My dad’s hair was balding when he was only 19.

have a beard/moustache(v) He’s never had a beard.

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Adjectives for eyes
almond-shaped (adj) His eyes are always described as almond-shaped.

hazel (adj) Hazel eyes are pale brown.

piercing (adj) He looked at me with those piercing blue eyes.

sparkling (adj) Her sparkling eyes attracted a lot of attention.

Adjectives for faces

expressive (adj) That child has a very expressive face.

freckled (adj) His face was freckled when he was a boy.

round (adj) There was a wide smile on his round face.

tanned (adj) My face was tanned after I had been skiing.

thin (adj) Her face looks very thin with that haircut.

wrinkled (adj) His face was wrinkled with age.

Adjectives for build

fat (adj) I used to be fat.

overweight (adj) You’re a little overweight but you don’t need to worry.

plump (adj) She was a plump little girl.

skinny (adj) He looked at his skinny body in the mirror.

slim (adj) I want to be slim in time for my wedding.

thin (adj) He was so thin when I last saw him.

stocky (adj) He’s stocky and not very tall.

well-built (adj) Rugby players are usually well-built.

Adjectives for complexion

dark (adj) He had a dark complexion.

healthy (adj) Fresh air gives you a healthy look.

pale (adj) She looked so pale that I thought she was ill.

smooth (adj) We guarantee a smooth complexion with this cream.

spotty (adj) He hated having a spotty face.

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